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R.I.P. Lloyd Skelton, known as lloydSSJ4 on the Outlaw Star UK forums, who took his life in 2014.

Military veterans turning to crime

It is no secret that exsoldiers pose a greater threat to everyday citizens than actual criminals. Most retired soldiers suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD), which makes them turn to a life of crime or lose it and end up in psych wards. Having military training and advanced murder techniques, these brave men and women who once swore to serve and protect, end up posing a threat to national security. The few who don't suffer from PTSD come home to their families and since they can't find a job that fits their skill set, they end up robbing banks and doing other atrocious acts, just to make ends meet. What do you think the government can do to remedy this?

There should have been a solid plan for people who have served. One that protects them if they can't work after. It makes no sense that these men and women risk their lives for their country and have to turn to crime just to get by. It isn't like this is some offshore group of strangers, they are our protectors and get treated like rubbish.

I confirm ex-militaries easily turn into dangerous, vicious bastards, men or women alike, i know that by experience.
And yeah they are real threat to society because militaries are no people, they are thinking weapons.
Here in France, ex-militaries get a retirement revenue just like any other profession, even though it can be far greater than what they deserve (in my father's case).
Personally i think that people who stay a certain amount of time in the army should never be allowed to come back to civilian life.
After being tamed for years to become weapons, they are just not capable of thinking as a normal person anymore.
I know my vision is a bit extreme but i've seen first hand what militaries can in the hostile (to them) environment that is peace and civilisation.
And my parents were either on the edge of the law, or infriging it lightly (exept for taking a liking to beating their civilian handicapped son), but constantly. They were light examples.
For me soldier should not, past a certain time, be treated as citizens, but as prisonners.
And i'm saying that bith society's and their sake, because a military in peace and out of a casern behaves, at best, like a fish out of water.

I don't think there's really anything that can be done to address the main problem. A living allowance would help prevent crime though. As far as I know, most veterans would be eligible for this in the UK, as well as a number of other countries.

I imagine this isn't the case in a lot of developing countries and vets are just left to fend for themselves unfortunately.

I think a lot of people should take a better look at facts like these before serving voluntarily. They're to blame for not doing so. Obviously, this isn't the case for those who were drafted without any choice in the matter.

Governments should keep them off the streets so they don't end up behind bars. Many countries have such high military budgets (biggest is US: $6 billion) that you wouldn't think of it as a big financial burden.

Quit sending our youth off halfway across the globe to get physically and psychologically decimated when we don't actually f*cking have to be doing so in the first place.

The Boomer generation in the U.S. basically normalized us being quote/unquote at war constantly, with only minor, fleeing reprieves. There's always a fire to be put out in the world--when it aligns with certain interests only, of course--which means, conveniently, there's coincidentally always a large dosages of FREEDOM needed to be applied somewhere (delivered by tanks, bombs, and boots on the ground) that only 'murica can provide!

Oh, but but, you say..."well, we don't have the draft in 'murica anymore, it's so-n-so's decision to go..." getting rid of the draft has allowed our leaders in one fell swoop to get people to not give a damn about our veterans or our stupidly enormous military budget because unlike the Vietnam generation (where enough of us finally said 'fuck you, I'm not going off to war when there's no good reason to'), when it was wink-wink, nudge-nudge, if you were rich/well-to-do/connected, you could get out of being deployed, now it's patent that if you're rich, you don't have to be in the military...it's for poor people. Seriously. Because what's one of the big ways they incentivize kids--KIDS, lest we forget--to join? WE'LL PAY FOR YOUR COLLEGE (cuz unless you're rich, got lucky enough to get some funding, or have good credit i.e. come form a good *cough cough white family, you sure as hell ain't gonna' be able to go on your own anymore, it's outrageously expensive, waaay more so than, again, the Boomer generation when adjusted for inflation).

When almost everyone other than those whose parents were politically connected and stupidly wealthy (or flat-footed) had to go, more people cared...now, as with so many other topics in America, it's 'well, as long as it doesn't happen to me' we don't care...and it doesn't happen to as many people because you don't have to serve, technically, since there's no draft. It won't be this way for much longer (unless things change), but as expensive as college is, middle-class America can still manage, which means a lot of people don't "have" to serve in the military, which means not as many people, i.e. the culture at large, give a fuck.

Oh, and btw, good luck gettin' that degree after your tour, you know when you're dead or so physically/mentally fucked you can't even feed yourself anymore let alone attend classes.

Sorry, bit of a rant, but not sorry for what I said. Here in the U.S., all that aside, we could take care of our vets when they get home...and should...but, we don't, which is fucked, but another rant entirely lol.

I don't think there's really anything that can be done to address the main problem. A living allowance would help prevent crime though. As far as I know, most veterans would be eligible for this in the UK, as well as a number of other countries.

I imagine this isn't the case in a lot of developing countries and vets are just left to fend for themselves unfortunately.

I think a lot of people should take a better look at facts like these before serving voluntarily. They're to blame for not doing so. Obviously, this isn't the case for those who were drafted without any choice in the matter.

Governments should keep them off the streets so they don't end up behind bars. Many countries have such high military budgets (biggest is US: $6 billion) that you wouldn't think of it as a big financial burden.

I would imagine a lot of places (like here in the US) do heavy screening for psychological and mental health before letting them serve. It is a huge reason trans men and women are not allowed in the military. Not because of who they are but because of their mental state. You can't even serve here if you have flat feet. I don't think these people go into the military having issues mentally but because of the training and the way they mold the minds, they come out having them.

I watched a story years ago about the mental training that gets given to soldiers. They want these men and women to be so in-tune with orders that if given one to kill their family, they would do it without a second thought. That scares me. I knew someone who was a few years younger than me going through training and he confirmed it. He actually became more robotic-like after 2 years and became a HUGE alcoholic. I don't know what happened to him but last I heard, he wasn't having a good life.

I would imagine a lot of places (like here in the US) do heavy screening for psychological and mental health before letting them serve.

Sorry, but no, special ops oh yeah, rigorous screening, Marines yeah cream of the crop physically and mentally tough...but the Army? National Guard? Nah, they'll take just about anybody.

Originally Posted by KorinKitty

It is a huge reason trans men and women are not allowed in the military. Not because of who they are but because of their mental state.

I'm sorry, not trying to be mean, but let's be clear: That is NOT why Trans people are currently being discriminated against in the military. That's the current administration just being cunts. If you can't cut it, be mentally tough enough or disciplined physically for even Army basics, that's one thing, but the idea that all trans people have a..."mental state" (I don't even know what you mean by that, weak? inferior? undisciplined?) that inhibits them...I'm sorry, but that's dangerously ignorant.

Military leaders have criticized our current POTUS and administration for that, trans people serve, have served, will serve...it's just now, they are being discriminated against for WHO THEY ARE, period.

But you're right about how soldiers are trained to follow orders. It's sort of a necessity given the rigor of combat, the chaos of battle, and the rigid discipline endemic to military life.